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Terry Cooke wins Player of the Week

January 23, 20105:05AM EST

NEW YORK -- Colorado Rapids midfielder Terry Cooke was voted as Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 1 of the 2008 season. Cooke led a dominating effort for the Rapids in which he scored a goal and tallied two assists in a 4-0 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night.

Cooke opened the scoring in the 10th minute when he followed up a Christian Gomez shot off the post with a volley from the right side of the box into the top right corner of the goal. After Gomez converted a penalty kick in the 60th minute, Cooke set up the third goal with a pass behind the Galaxy for Omar Cummings, who touched it around the goalkeeper's challenge and slotted it coolly into the net in the 67th minute. On the final goal, Cooke sent a long ball into the corner to Colin Clark, who beat a defender and slipped shot past Galaxy keeper Steve Cronin.

Now in his fourth season in MLS, Cooke has established himself as an assist specialist with 23 in his career. He led the League in 2006 with 12 and recorded seven in 2007. This is the first Player of the Week honor for Cooke, who will be in action with the Rapids again on Saturday, April 5 when they travel to face the Kansas City Wizards at 8 p.m. ET.

The Major League Soccer Player of the Week is selected each week of the MLS regular season by a panel of journalists from The North American Soccer Reporters (NASR). The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media. More information and membership information can be found at www.soccerreporters.com.